Suzuki Colleda

You couldn't find any Suzuki stickers or emblems on the motorcycles Suzuki built on the early models. No, the early models were given the name Colleda and the famous Suzuki ”S” appeared for the first time in 1959 and the Colleda brand name was replaced by Suzuki in the early 1960's, the T10 being the first non-Colleda. Here's some of the Suzuki's Colleda models from the fifties and early sixties. I will add more models here when I find suitable pictures and some facts.

1954

Apparently the word "Colleda" means something like "This is it!" or "This is the one!" in Japanese. The Japanese use that word when they find something special (the best) they have been looking for. (Thanks, Takeshi!)

Suzuki Loom Manufacturing Company (SJK) presented the side-valve powered Colleda CO in May 1954, the first real motorcycle from Suzuki. The single-cylinder 90cc four-stroke engine developed four horsepower and ran quite smoothly, thanks to its heavy fly wheel, attached to ignition magneto.

No driver's license was needed at the time for riding the Colleda CO. The Japanese government had recently decided that no driver's license were longer needed to ride a bike with an 4-stroke engine up to 90cc or a 2-stroke engine up to 60cc. That explains rather well Suzuki's choice of engines for its first models on the market in 1954 - the Diamond Free motorized motorcycle with 58cc 2-stroke engine with 2 hp and the 90cc four-stroke with 4 hp.

The Colleda CO had a steel frame, telescopic front fork, shock absorbers on the rear wheel and coil spring-suspensioned seat. It had no turning lights but it did have a headlight and a rear light. It was the first Japanese motorcycle provided with a speedometer, built in the headlight. The built-in gearbox had three speeds. One source claim that the model had hydraulic brakes but I haven't been able to confirm this.

The rigid frame and luggage carrier made the bike suitable for carrying of goods. They say that the 90cc Colleda sounded more than it actually performed, but the ”sound effects” and the rigid construction made the bike quite popular among Japanese customers.

1955

It was not longer allowed to ride a 90cc four-stroke without a driver's license in 1955 and that naturally affected the sales figures in negative direction. The 90cc Colleda CO must be one of the absolute rarest motorcycles Suzuki ever built. The model was soon discontinued and replaced by the 125cc version. But the four-stroke machines at the time were not as reliable as the more simple two-stroke machines and soon Suzuki discontinued even the 125 model. All the forces were concentrated in developing two-stroke engines. It took actually over 20 years before Suzuki built four-strokes again, after an unsuccessful attempt of using Wankel rotary engines.

The four-stroke models got company by the 102cc Porter Free and 123cc ST during 1955. Both models were two-strokers with steel frame, telescopic front forks and plunger rear suspension, similar to their predecessors. All of the Colleda two-stroke engines used the conventional piston valve construction, the rotary (reed) valve engines came much later.

The ST was the most successful of the models. It was a simple and affordable small motorcycle that was in sales of the model exceeded 100,000 units during the six years it was manufactured.

1956

A 250cc twin, Colleda TT with an American style design was launched in 1956. The picture above shows the model shown at the '99 Tokyo Motor Show (the historical section).

The Colleda TT is the predecessor of all Suzuki 250cc 2-stroke twins, including the T20, T250 and GT250. The air-cooled engine had a square 54 x 54 mm bore and stroke, the same as all of the models just mentioned. It also had new ”modern” floating swing arm with shock absorbers at the rear but the leading front fork design makes one to think of the early BMWs.

The slightly modernized Colleda COX-II was presented. The only difference I can spot on the pictures, in lack of technical info, is that the canter stand seems to made out of thinner material and a mudflap was attached to the the front mudguard.

A new version of the Colleda ST was launched with a modernized engine, now delivering 7 hp. Even the 100cc Porter Free had a more powerful engine in 1956. The Colleda ST-II received a same sort of fuel tank than the COX, making to models look even more like each other.

Colleda COX-II 1956

Engine type: 123 cc side-valve single cylinder four-stroke.

Three speeds, telescopic front forks and plunger rear suspension.

The kick starter was placed on the left side of the engine on the four-stroke CO and COX models. The exhaust pipe ending is also different, shaped like is fish tail. Also to engine design was quite different from the two-strokers.

Colleda ST-II 1956

Apart for the differences listed above, the Colleda COX-2 and Colleda ST-2 looked a lot like each other.

1957

The 250 twin was replaced in 1957 with a similar styled but now single cylinder Colleda TP. Unfortunately I have no information or pictures of the model for the moment.

The Colleda ST was modernized every year, 1957-year's ST-3 being the third model version of the popular bike, still using the hard plunger rear suspension. The headlight was redesigned, giving the bike a more sporty look. The engine had 52 x 58 mm bore and stroke.

1958

Suzuki introduced an assembly line to its factory in Hamamatsu in 1958. Three models were manufactured that year: the SM-1 Suzukimoped, the 125cc Colleda ST with 8 bhp and the new 250cc with 18 bhp, all single cylinder two-strokes. The 250cc twin, made in smaller quantities, was no longer manufactured as the production of the motorcycles was rationalized.

The 250cc TM was the cheapest Colleda model available in 1958. It used the powerful parallel twin engine from the Colleda TP (haven't got any info or pictures of the model yet) and was a practical bike to transport goods with.

1959

In 1959, the 6th modernized version of the 125cc ST had telescopic front fork and floating swing arm with shock absorbers, making riding more comfortable. The new-designed engine delivered now 8 hp. Popular among the youth.

A new 125cc twin was launched, the Colleda SB Seltwin. It had a quite sporty design and it was good for 110 kph. Seltwin was the first Japanese motorcycle model with an electric starter. A twin-engined 125cc motorcycle was an unusual concept in the fifties and still unusual in the seventies.

1960

The 1960-year's Colleda 250TA was the first motorcycle ever to use combination brakes, even now standard in only few motorcycle models, the Honda GoldWing being one of them. The TB used a hydraulic rear break and a link was attached to the brake pedal, making both the front and the rear brake to activate when pushing the pedal. The engine (actually not a square 54 x 54 mm bore and stroke) engine delivered 20 hp, giving the bike a 140 kph top speed. A scooter styled lower fairing was attached to the bike to protect the rider from moist and wind and the model had a dual seat, making it somewhat of a touring bike.

A 150cc sports version of the Seltwin was launched in 1960 with a dual seat and high-drawn exhaust pipe. The 125cc version of the model got an lower fairing, in style with the 250 TA.

1962

When the Cycle World magazine presented the Colleda 250TB in the USA in March 1962 (see above, click to enlarge), the bike was called the Suzuki TB but you could clearly see the Colleda emblem attached to the white sidepanel, althought there's a Suzuki "S" logo on the engine. The 250TB was replaced in 1963 by the 250TC.

In Japan, two 125cc models with similar design but different engines were offered in 1962. The 125 SK had a twin engine with 11,5 hp and the 125 SL a single engine with 8 hp.

Colleda 125SL

1963

The Colleda 250TC was called 250TC El Camino in the USA. The Cycle World magazine published a four-page road test of the machine in October 1962 telling that the Suzuki was a lot of fun to ride with excellent handling, little vibrations and had a respectable top speed of 83 mph. It should be mentioned that the Colleda emblem on the side panel had been replaced with Suzuki emblem in America. The S (sports) version of the 250TC had a single passenger seat and weighed a few pounds less.

The 250TC was replaced with the Suzuki T10 in 1964 and a year later with the T20 that was a bike ahead of its time with 30 hp, automatic oiling, six speed gearbox, rev counter and a twin leading shoe brake at the front. Later the T20 was replaced with (technically almost unchanged) T250 and the GT250 with a single disc brake at the front.